Shoe or boot ventilating device.



T. ROBERTS. SHOEIOR BOOT VENTILATING DEVICE. APPLICATION IILBD MBA, 1910.

991,457, Patented May 2 1911.

INVENTOR y .0 F F aw 43m UNITED Sflrtftltg PAIENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ROBERTS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE OR BOOT VENTILATING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 4, 1910. Serial No. 542,142.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnoams ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and'Statc of California, have invented a new and useful Shoe or Boot Ventilating Device, of which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates to shoes and boots and has for its object'to provide means for ventilating and causing a circulation of air in the sole and beneath the foot of the wearer in order to prevent overheating, perspiration, and the evils that are productive of corns, weariness, etc.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the novel features pointed out in the appended claim and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of a shoe or boot embodying my invention; on the line tic-m Fig. 2; the upper part being removed; Fig. 2 1s a rear view of the heel of a shoe or boot, the upper part likewise omitted; Fig. 3, is a vertical transverse section on the line y-y Fig. 1; the upper part removed. Fig. t, is a perspective view of the ventilating tube. Fig. 5, is a plan of the insole, a portion being omitted; Fig. 6, is a plan of the sole showing position of the ventilating tube, and Fig. 7, is a view of the screw plug of the ventilating tube.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the drawings.

A, represents a shoe or boot, the top part being cut away, and is provided with an air chamber or cavity D between the sole and insole, the floor of said chamber or cavity D being above the plane of the upper surface of the heel proper, whereby the strength and durability of the heel 15 are equal to those of the shoe or boot not provided with the device embodying my invention. Said chamber or cavity D may be of any desired depth, according to the requirements, the depth being regulated by the thickness of the false insole, which is arranged between the outer sole C and the usual insole H. Said cavity D being formed by the concave portion sit-uated at the forward end of the ventilating tube E, which extends beneath the cut pori n C D of the sole C at the heel portion. "in: ir'sole ll extends over the chamber or cavity D at an ap )roXimate front of the heel ii of the shoe i and thereby closes the top of the same, whereby the only inlet to and outlet from said chamber or cavity D is through the bifurcated end of the ventilating tube E resting in the heel and on the lower surface of the insole H which covers the chamber or cavity D of the rear end and forms part of said ventilating tube E at its forward end.

Secured to the upper surface of the sole C at a short distance from the front part of the toe and inserted at the flattened end part G C, in a shallow cut, is a concaved are shaped plate D, its sides conver ing at its rear end with the front part 0 the short ventilating tube E, which passes through the bifurcatedopening at D D in the heel portion of the sole C, terminating at a short distance from the ends of the same, and is suitably secured as at G, to the sole; the inner surface of the tube E being threaded on Patented May 2, 1911.

its interior rear end for a short distance, to

receive a screw-plug F, which is inserted from the rear of the heel B whenever it is desired to close the exterior mouth of the tube E during inclement weather.

The insole ll forms the cover of the air chamber or cavity D, and thereby closes the top of the same, whereby the only inlet is through the tube E, which rests upon the upper part of the heel at its rear end; the insole H being provided with a series of ports or openings Ill-H, to admit fresh air to the chamber or eject foul air from the interior of the shoe or boot A when necessary.

The device acts as an inflated cushion to the foot of the wearer.

This being the construction of the device, it is apparent that in operation, the pressure of the heel of the wearer, upon the cover of the chamber or cavity D, depresses said cover against the supporting walls of the concaved plate D and thus forces the air,

which is contained in the chamber or cavity, through, and discharges the same beneath the arch part of the foot of the wearer; it will be seen that a portion of the' air contained in the chamber D will be discharged through the pcrforations or ports II in the insole H. When the foot of the wearer is raised as in swinging the foot which is toward the rear forward, in the act of taking an advance step, the action of the snctitthrough the ventilating tube E, elevates it cover ll of the chamber or cavity D. filth holding it ii contact with the thereof. Furthermore,

lower part of the" foot and the upward movement of the cover produces a partial vacuum in the chamber or cavity D and causes an inward draft of air from the rear part of the shoe through the ventilating tube E to the chamber D,the air thus drawn in being again expelled when the heel is again depressed. Therefore, an alternate depression and elevation of the cover D is caused during Walking, thus-alternately ex hausting the foul air from the chamber D through the tube E in the heel of the shoe or bootA' and admitting a. fresh supply of air into the chamber D, and this continuous circulation of air Within the shoe or boot A has the effect of cooling the foot, and by preventing perspiration and the evils such as are above enumerated, also adding to the comfort of the wearer and to the durability ofv the ma terial forming the shoe or bootA by avoid- 1 .ing the hardening and consequent breaking the construction described provides a cushlon to relieve the jar i upon the ground or floor as in taking a for- Ward step.

I claim as my invention In a shoe, in combination with an inner sole having a ventilating aperture in the shank of the shoe, and an outer sole having an aperture over the heel, said aperture ex tending forwardly upward from the under to the upper side thereof and a conduit formed in a-single piece, the rear portion of said conduit passing through said aperture in the outer sole and being tubular and the front portion communicating with said aperture in the inner sole and being troughshaped, said conduit opening at its rear end to-the atmosphere, and said outer sole extending over the rear terminal, portion of said conduit, substantially as described.

, THOMAS nonna'rs. Witnesses E, A. BRANDA V7. Jonas CUTHBERTSONr 

